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Governor Of Okinawa Proposes Dismantling U.s. Bases By 2015

TOKYO — The governor of Okinawa has proposed dismantling all U.S. military bases on the southern Japanese island by the year 2015, news reports said Sunday.

Gov. Masahide Ota's proposal is the latest to develop from Okinawans' rage over the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in September. Three U.S. servicemen have been charged in the case.

Under Ota's plan, all U.S. military bases in Okinawa would be dismantled by 2015 and the island would be transformed into an international zone, including resorts and an international academic city built on a former U.S. air base, Kyodo News Service said.

Kyodo said Ota proposed the plan in a meeting with Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on Saturday. He also refused to force owners of base land to continue leasing their property to the U.S. military and said he will disobey a court decree ordering him to do so.

Murayama has indicated he might override Ota and force Okinawan landowners to renew their leases for bases.